Historic First: Two Chinese Container Ships Cross Paths in Arctic Waters

By Malte Humpert (gCaptain) In a further sign of the dramatic climatic changes occurring in the Arctic, two major container ships for the first time passed each other just 750 nautical miles from the North Pole. Both vessels are connecting Chinese ports to Russia’s Saint Petersburg. 

The encounter played out on Wednesday night at almost 80 degrees northern latitude east of the archipelago of Novaya Zemlya with the two vessels passing in opposite directions just a few nautical miles from each other. 

Flying Fish 1, the first-ever Panamax container ship to venture into the Arctic, is traveling from Saint Petersburg in the Baltic Sea to Qingdao in northeastern China. Carrying close to 5,000 containers across a length of 294 meters it sets a new record for largest box ship to travel across Russia’s Northern Sea Route. 

This summer is turning out to be a breakout moment for container shipping on the route. Just a week earlier Flying Fish 1’s counterpart, NewNew Star, had itself become the largest container ship in the Arctic, only to be surpassed by Flying Fish 1 days later. 

NewNew Star is transporting up to 3,534 TEU from Nansha, China to Saint Petersburg.

Both vessels are operated by Chinese or Hong Kong-based companies. Apart from Danish Maersk’s trial voyage of Venta Maersk in 2018, Arctic container shipping has been dominated by Chinese vessels.

Last summer saw seven full transits completed by four different box ships. That figure looks set to more than double this year, with vessels also becoming substantially larger.

Flying Fish 1’s owner EZ Safetrans Logistics, holds Arctic permits for two more of its Panamax vessels, SFT Turkey and SFT Egypt. 

For much of the past decade Arctic shipping experts have voiced skepticism about the possibility of regular and routine container shipping via the Arctic. But between EZ Safetrans Logistics and NewNew Star’s owner, Yangpu NewNew Shipping Company, two expanding operators have now established dedicated Arctic services. 

While year-round liner service remains an aspiration for the future, the recent developments indicate that limited Arctic container shipping is becoming increasingly feasible during the summer and fall navigation season.

Also read: MSC Reaffirms Pledges to Avoid Arctic Shipping Route

Updated: September 15, 2024 (Originally published September 12, 2024)

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